Time-controlled apparatus.



A. G. HATCH & F. WALDORF.

TIME CONTROLLED APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.10.19I5.

Patented Nov. 7, 1916.

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r A. G. HATCH & F. WALDORF.

TIME CONTROLLED APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 050.10.1915.

Patented Nov. 7, 1916.

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ARTHUR G. HATCH AND FRED WALIDORF, 0F DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

TIME-CONTROLLED APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 7, 1916.

Application filed December 10, 1915. Serial No. 66,184.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, ARTHUR G. HATCH and FRED WALDORF, citizens of the United States, residing at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented certain Improvements in Time-Controlled Apparatus, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings in dicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to time controlled mechanism for operating or controlling the operation of other apparatus or mechanisms, such for instance as the dampers of a furnace.

The invention aims particularly to devise a substantial and reliable apparatus of this general character which can be economically manufactured.

It is also an object of the invention to provide an apparatus of this character which will be convenient to operate and can be cheaply installed.

The particular manner in which it is here proposed to accomplish these objects will be readily understood from the following description of one embodiment of the invention although it should be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms than that specifically disclosed herein.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, certain parts of the casing being broken away to show the inclosed mechanism; Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a method by which the apparatus may be used to operate the dampers of a furnace; Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing certain parts of the mechanism contained in the casing; Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view showing a detail of construction, and Fig. 6 is a side view of a modified stop construction.

The apparatus shown comprises a clock mechanism and a trip mechanism which is controlled by the clock mechanism, both of these mechanisms being inclosed in a casing 2. A boss 3 is'formed at the top of this easing into which is threaded a tube 4:

and the upper end of this tube is closed by a vthreadedcap 6. Another boss 7 is formed at the bottom of the casing 2 and this boss is bushed to form a guide for a rod 8 that extends through the casing 2 and the tube el and is mounted to slide longitudinally through the bushing supported by the boss 7 and through an aperture formed in the cap 6. This rod forms the damper operating element or member of the apparatus. A helical tension spring 10, positioned in the tube 1 and encircling the rod 8, is connected at its upper end to the cap 6 and at its lower end to a collar 12 fast on the rod 8 so that it tends to move the rod 8 upwardly through the casing 2. This movement normally is prevented by the time controlled trip mechanism inclosed in the casing. The tube or casing extension 4 forms a convenient housing and support for the spring 10.

The clock work or mechanism may be of the type commonly used in alarm clocks and the trip mechanism above referred to may conveniently consist of part of the alarm mechanism that is used in such clocks. For present purposes it is, of course, unnecessary to have the hammer, gong and certain parts that operate the hammer. In the construction shown in Fig. 4 this trip mechanism includes a toothed or cog wheel 14 that is mounted fast on a shaft 15 which is always found in the more common forms of alarm clocks. This wheel is arranged to mesh with or be engaged by a collar 16 carried by the rod 8. The wheel 14 is free at all times to turn in a clockwise direction but is normally prevented from turning in the opposite direction by means of a ratchet wheel 17 that is fixed to the shaft 15 and is engaged by a spring pressed pawl 18 which is pivoted on a gear wheel 20 mounted loosely on the shaft 15 and immediately besidethe ratchet wheel 17, as shown in Fig. 4.. This gear wheel meshes with a barrel pinion 22 which is mounted on a short shaft that also carries an escapement wheel 24 which is engaged by an escapement lever 26 fixed to a short shaft or arbor to which also a trip lever 28 is secured. This trip lever normally is engaged by the end of a trip spring 30 which keeps the trip lever from" oscillating and consequently acts through the chain of connections just described to keep the gear wheel 20 from rotating. The trip spring 30 has a peculiar shape substantially as shown in Fig. 4, and bears against a gear wheel 32 that is driven by the clock mechanism and carries a cam 3&which runs in contact with a stationary finger or lug mounted on the end of the setting shaft 36 of the alarm or trip mechanism.

As soon as the clock mechanism turns the cam 34 into position to allow the lug on the shaft 36 to drop into the low point on the cam, the spring 32 will jump back far enough to move its end out of engagement with the end of the trip lever 28, thus allowing the escapement lever :26 to oscillate and consequently permitting the gear 20 tobe rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. at. This rotative movement of the gear 20 is produced by the spring 10 acting through the rod 8, the collar 16, the cog Wheel 14, shaft 15, ratchet wheel 17, and pawl 18 and it obviously releases the collar 16 from engagement with the cog wheel 1% and allows the spring 10 to slide the rod 8 upwardly through the casing 2 and tube 4.. The setting device for this trip mechanism is, of course, the same as that ordinarily used to set, or predetermine the operation of, the alarm mechanism of an alarm clock. In fact, the parts of the clock and trip mechanism shown in Fig. i are all standard parts of an ordinary alarm clock, with the exception of the cog wheel 14: on the shaft 15. It

will be noted from Figs. 2 and 41 that the rod 8 extends directly through the clock mechanism but is offset slightly to one side of the axis of the hand shaft or arbor in order to avoidinterference with the parts of the clock mechanism.

-The collar 16 may be split, as shown in with a pair of ears 38 which are apertured to receive the opposite ends of a U-shaped shackle 40 that extends through and is supported by a fixture 42. The part 412 may be provided with a wood screw or other fastening means to enable it to be secured to a stringer or the ceiling, when the apparatus is to be used to operate the dampers of a furnace. As shown in Fig. 3, the lower end of the rod 8 is connected by means of a cord 13 with the damper $1 in the door of the ash pit. The upper end of the'rod is connected by another cord 45 to the check damper 46 at the'back of-the furnace, this cord being guided through suitable eyes,'one of which is formed in the fixture 12, as indicated at 48 (see-Fig. 2). Small apertured capsoS) threaded on the ends of the rod 8 afford a convenient means for attaching cords or chains to the rod.

The apparatus having been installed in the manner shown in Fig. 3, it is merely necessary, in order to set the apparatus, for the attendant, when he banks the fire at night, to pull the rod 8 down into substantially the position in which it is shown in the drawings. This movement, of course, shuts off the draft by closing the damper 4i and opening the damper 16, and it carries the collar 16 into engagement with the teeth of the wheel 14, thus rotating this wheel in a clockwise direction. This movement also tensions the spring 10. 7 Any upward movement ofthe rod 8 is prevent-ed by the trip mechanism in the manner above described. The parts are held in this position until the arrival of the time for which the release has been set; that is, until the clock mechanism turns the cam 34 far enough to allow the spring 30 to move out of engagement with the trip'lever 28, at which time the'collar 16 will be released from engagement with the toothed wheel let, in the ma-nner above described, thus permitting the spring 10 to raise the rod 8 and causing it to close the check damper 16 and opening the front damper 14;. This operation, of course,

greatly increases the draft through the furnace.

Attention is particularly called to the fact that this apparatus requires very little modification in the mechanism of an ordinary alarm clock, such modification as is required consisting chiefly in the elimination of parts; and that the parts which must be added to it to complete the apparatus are so constructed that they can be manufactured economically and assembled easily. It is obvious that the apparatus can bevery-quickly installed, it being merely necessary to secure 'the fixture 42 to some overhead support,

which usually is within'convenient reach, and then to connect the two ends of the rod 8 with the dampers. A further advantage of this arrangement resides in the fact thatit is unnecessary to wind the alarm mechanism, since the holding and releasing action of this mechanism only is employed. The mere act of'pulling the rod 8' downwardly sets the apparatus in readiness for it to be operated by the clock mechanism at the time predetermmed by the setting of the trip mechanism.

lVhile the construction nowpreferred' hasv been shown and described above, it is obvious that many changes may be made in the arrangement of the parts and the details of construction without departing from the spirit or scope of thisinvention. Forinsta-nce,the collar 16 on the rod 8 might be replaced by a rack, as indicated at .8 in Fig. 6, and arranged to cooperate with a gear wheel 14 taking the place of the cog wheel 14. This arrangement would have the advantage of limiting the speed with which the rod 8 could be raised by the spring 10 when the rod is released by the trip mechanism and might be preferred for some kinds of service.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a clock mechanism, a trip mechanism controlled thereby and including a toothed wheel, a casing for said mechanisms, a rod guided in said casing to slide relatively thereto and having a member arranged to mesh with said wheel, said trip mechanism being constructed and arranged to hold the wheel against rotation in one direction until released by said clock mechanism, but permitting rotation of said wheel in the opposite direction at all times, means connected with said casing constructed and arranged to support it in a suspended position, and a spring independent of said trip mechanism acting on said rod to move it when said wheel is released by said trip mechanism.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a clock mechanism, a trip mechanism controlled thereby, a casing inclosing said mechanisms, a casing extension projecting upwardly therefrom and constructed to hang vertically from a suitable support while in use, a member mounted for movement longitudinally in said extension and cooperating with said trip mechanism to enable the trip mechanism to hold it against movement in one direction, and a spring positioned in said extension and acting on said member to move it in said direction when it is released by said trip mechanism.

3. In an apparatus of the character de scribed, the combination of a clock mechanism, a casing inclosing said mechanism, a tube projecting upwardly from said casing, a rod mounted for longitudinal movement in said tube, means connected with said tube whereby the casing may be hung in a vertical position while in use, a spring positioned in said tube and connected with said rod to raise it, a toothed part on said rod, and a trip mechanism controlled by said clock mechanism and including a toothed wheel arranged to be engaged and rotated in one direction by said toothed part, said trip mechanism being operative to hold the rod normally against upward movement until released by said clock mechanism.

4. A11 apparatus of the character described having, in combination, a clock mechanism, a casing therefor, a spring support extending vertically from said casing, said support being constructed and arranged to hang from a suitable support thus sustaining the apparatus in a suspended position while in use, a helical tension spring connected at its upper end to said support, a member connected to the lower end of said spring to be lifted thereby, a trip mecha nism arranged to be controlled by said clock mechanism and including a part normally prevented from moving in one direction by said trip mechanism but freely movable in the opposite direction, said part cooperating with said member to enable the trip mecha nism normally to prevent the spring from moving said member.

5. An apparatus of the character described having, in combination, a clock mechanism, a casing therefor, a casing extension projecting vertically therefrom, a rod mounted to slide longitudinally of said extension, a spring supported by said extension and connected with said rod to raise it, a rack on said rod and a trip mechanism controlled by said clock mechanism and including a toothed wheel with which said rack is arranged to mesh, said wheel being mounted to be rotated by said rack upon its downward movement but being operative normally to prevent the rack from moving upwardly.

36. An apparatus of the character described, having in combination, a clock mechanism, a casing therefor, a trip mechanism controlled by said clock mechanism and including a wheel normally prevented from rotating in one direction by said trip mechanism but freely rotatable in the opposite direction without aifecting the action of said trip mechanism, a member arranged to engage said wheel and to rotate it in the lat ter direction but normally prevented by said wheel from moving in the opposite direction, and a spring connected with said mem her and arranged to be tensioned by the movement of said member which rotates said wheel.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

ARTHUR G. HATCH. FRED WVALDORF.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

